What I’ve been up to these last few weeks…

Lighting Ceremony  at the Washington Monument:

Baltimore Washington Monument With Fireworks

More Fireworks!

I love fireworks.  They’re just so festive And loud. And pretty.

Next, the Tuba Christmas at the Inner Harbor Amphitheater:

That's a lot of brass.

These guys showed up as well.

What’s this I see?

It's a Santa Crossing!

Aw, that's so nice of you Mr. Grinch.

Scottish Santa wearing a kilt.

Who doesn’t love seeing a guy wearing a kilt?  Kilts should be worn more often, they’re so manly.

I turned 29 this year.

This is me at 29.

And I visited Philly to hang with some friends.

Hanging out.

Philly Xmas tree at City Hall.

Christmas Market at City Hall in Philadelphia.

They even have a carousel.

There are lots of art schools in Philly.  This is a display window of one of them.

This is a strange display.

Other half of the strange display.

Then on to South Street to wander around.  Including a walk past Philadelphia’s Magic Garden.

Part of the Philadelphia Magic Gardens.

Wars End in the Philadelphia Magic Garden.

The following day included a quick walk in Rittenhouse Square.

View towards Center City.

This fountain is drained for the winter.

Officer catching up on some paperwork.

I devoured ate some Chinese food in Chinatown and made my way back to Baltimore.  Where I promptly got on the right bus going in the wrong direction. That got sorted out and I made it back via a little bit of walking and a transfer to the light rail.

This week I’m sending out my resume, making plans to visit family, and crocheting more gifts.

Vegetarian Chinese Food!

YUM! SO! TASTY!

I haven’t found any Chinese places in Baltimore that do vegetarian food made with wheat gluten (yet… there may be a place in Charles Village?).  So when Mr. EG told me that he needed to return to Philly today I requested that he bring me back food from Chinatown.  Specifically Sweet & Sour “Chicken” and some General Tso’s “Chicken” from Kingdom of Vegetarians.  It pretty much survived the bus ride back to Bmore and I’ve devoured half of the sweet n’ sour.   I’m now feeling the “Chinese food coma” but because I’m so happy to have good vegetarian food, that I haven’t had to cook, I felt the need to do a post.  Behold, the wonderful food!

Sweet n’ Sour “Chicken”

Remains of Mr. EG's General Tso's "Chicken"

Leftover General Tso's

Leftovers! I love leftover Chinese food!  It means I don’t have to cook tomorrow night and I get to have food  that is not readily available to  me (again!!!).

When I first moved to Philly in 2005 I was so happy to find out that there were so many veggie places.  And Chinese food?  I was ecstatic!  That sort of food didn’t exist in northeast Ohio.  And it doesn’t exist so much in Baltimore.

Please Baltimore, won’t you give us Vegetarians some love?

Don’t get me wrong Bmore, the Indian restaurants are great, but I can’t eat Indian every time I eat out.

Ice Bath

I’m in the last few weeks of training for the Philadelphia Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon.  Yesterday I ran 9 miles.  I haven’t run this far since the Broad Street Run.  This time around, I’ve started doing ice baths after my long runs and really tough workouts.  Basically after my hot shower, I run a cold bath with enough water to cover my legs and lower hips. Then I toss in a bag of ice and a tray or two of ice cubes.  After the first two minutes it’s not that bad (the first minute  is “oh sh*t this is cold”.  A cup of hot tea, a book to read, my clock ticking beside me and I’m set for the next 25 minutes.  This results in  not having to hobble around for the next two days from sore muscles.  Crazy? Yes.  But it’s working.   

Summer View of Pemberton House, Philadelphia, PA